Lesson 1: An Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards
Anatomy
- Structure of the human body
- What is where in the body
- How structures interrelate (the geography of the human body)
Dissection
- Cutting the body apart to isolate its components
- Anatomists divide the body into its constituent parts
- Remains an important tool in training clinical practitioners
Physiology
- How the body works
- How its structures work together to function in support of the human organism as a whole
Anatomy and Physiology
- Concerned with the normative structure and the function of the body
- How bodies function in the absence of disease
- Play crucial roles in our understanding of how the body should look and act to better understand the things that can go wrong with it and how those things might be remediated
Disease
- Departure from the “typical” structure and/or function of the body
- Pushing physiological function away from internal stability
Pathology
- Scientific study of disease
- Concerns itself with how disease processes result from, or cause, abnormalities in normative body structure and or function
Smallest Organizational Level of the Body
- Chemical level
Organelles
- Atoms combine to make molecules, and molecules make up organelles
- The “organs” of cells that work together to support the function of those cells
Cells
- The smallest and simplest “living” components of the human body
Tissues
- Groups of specialized cells
- More than one type of cell can be at play in a tissue
- Grouping of cells performs a specific function
Organs
- Consist of a number of kinds of tissues that work collectively to perform one or more specialized function
Microscopic Anatomical Features
- We need to use a microscope to see things at the chemical and cellular levels
Gross Anatomical Features
- We can most definitely see organs with our naked eyes
Systems
- Largest organizational level of the human body, made up of a collection of organs that are organized in such a way that they perform some higher-level function
Anatomical Position
- Erect posture
- Face forward
- Palms of the hands face the viewer as do the feet
- Toes turned slightly outward
Supine Position
- Body laying down
- Face up
- Palms of the hands facing down
Prone Position
- Body laying face down
- Palms of the hands facing up
Anatomical Directions
- Superior
- Inferior
- Anterior
- Posterior
- Medial
- Lateral
Superior
- Vertically closer to the top of the head in the anatomical position
Inferior
- Closer to the bottom of the feet
Anterior
- Towards the front of the body
Posterior
- Towards the back of the body
Dorsal and Ventral Cavity
- Organs of the human body are housed in two major body cavities
Dorsal Cavity
- Back of the body (Posterior)
- Subdivided into the Cranial Cavity and the Spinal or Vertebral Cavity
Ventral Cavity
- Front of the body (Anterior)
- Subdivided into the Thoracic Cavity and Abdominopelvic Cavity
Cranial Cavity
- Houses the brain
Spinal or Vertebral Cavity
- Houses the spinal colum
Thoracic Cavity
- Is separated from the abdominopelvic cavity by the diaphragm
- Is divided into the left and right pleural cavities and the mediastinum
Abdominopelvic Cavity
- Divided into the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity
Divisions of the Dorsal Cavity, Thoracic, and Abdominopelvic Cavities
- are not physical divisions; it is an imaginary subdivision
- there is no anatomical feature separating them
Abdominopelvic Quadrants
- a division of the abdominopelvic cavity into the right upper quadrant (RUQ), the left upper quadrant (LUQ), the right lower quadrant (RLQ) and the left lower quadrant (LLQ)
- due to its size and complexity, it is helpful to have locational cues to describe where specific organs are located
Medial
- toward the midline of the body
Lateral
- toward the side of the body or away from the midline of the body
Superficial
- Near the surface
Deep
- Farther from the surface
Proximal
- Toward or nearest the trunk or point of origin
Distal
- Away from or farthest from the trunk or point of origin
Homeostasis
- the relative constancy of the internal environment
- a range of internal conditions
Feedback Loops
- our bodies constantly adjust in order to get back into that comfortable range
Negative Feedback Loops
- ones that push the body back toward the desired conditions
- are dominant in day to day life
- maintain internal stability
Positive Feedback Loops
- ones that push the body further away from “normal”
- play an important role in specific circumstances
- same direction
